corta765

The team looks like they’re losing faith on McD. The standard because they have been so close is SB/1 seed etc and McD looks like a flawed failing product despite years of success prior. Josh looks 2023 all over again and the talent issues are real across the defense and WR corp. Last year as it was a reset year of sorts 4-2 didn’t feel awful and felt like they controlled a really good future. It is reallllyyy hard right now to feel like this season has a promising future given how injuries have hit the team hard on defense and the offense has no outside WR threat. McD has been here for 8 years and culturally the regression feels so real. In a sense it would be relieving for this to bottom out and see McD finally released to give Josh another shot with someone else. I truly appreciate the work McD did to help this org rise from the ashes, but I don’t want to see Josh be 35 and that’s the first time he has a new voice when he is no longer at his peak. If it meant McD goes I’d sign up for it at this point.

Roaming Buffalos 27 Black Flying Winged Creatures 19 Bills jump out to an early 10-0 lead as Josh gets Knox on a fast opening drive and the Bills defense gets an INT to which results in a FG. The Falcons get back into it as they run Robinson a bunch to move downfield before Pitts get a TD on 3rd and goal and it is 10-7 at the start of the 2nd. Allen and the offense go on a 6 minute drive to drain a lot of the 2nd and cap it with a Cook rushing TD to go up 17-7. The Falcons move the ball but stall at the Buffalo 15 and are forced to kick a FG before half to make it 17-10. Out of half they trade possessions before Robinson breaks a 30 yard run to get the ball into the Buffalo redzone but the Bills force another FG and it is 17-13. Josh finally hits a deep pass as Palmer breaks the Falcons coverage on a play action for a 55 yard TD to put the Bills up 24-13. Atlanta drives right back for a TD of their own early in the fourth as Rapp misses coverage on London and he scores on a 25 yard TD but the two point conversion fails and it is 24-19 early 4th quarter. The offense again runs the clock but a holding penalty forces a long 3rd and long that the Bills can't convert in the ATL redzone and they settle for a FG. The Falcons have one last chance to answer but Bosa sacks Penix on 4th down at midfield and the Bills leave Atlanta with a W into the bye week. The game won't make the WNY locals fully relieved as the defense will have its moments and the offense will get slowed by a few mistakes, but they will be buttoned up enough to close out a feisty Falcon team. Allen 250 yds 2 TDs 38 yds Cook 96 yds 15 carries 16 rec yards Palmer 102 yds 3 rec 1 TD

The panic which as always post the first loss is always higher imo then others (I admit I was part of it) stems from the fact every major concern that does exist with the team was on full display: -Passing game limited of sorts when it comes to outside WR -Offense has issues both penalty and turnover related and they partially lose because they aren't scoring 30 points -defense again has major tackling issues, the CBs look rough, Milano unfortunately goes broke, and the ability to win an ugly defensive game is not there The Bills themselves post KC AFC title loss said we need to help Josh we need to help Josh and were going to throw everything we got into the D. Right now it feels like the exact same team as last year with an offense that will dominate more times than not even though the WR position against certain opponents will have issues while the defense can't make a play in the clutch and it is on the offense to be B+ or better every game. NOW... with that said and the tape out etc.. the defense actually showed some true signs that they maybe are turning the corner a bit, especially with the D line. At CB not sure what you do with Tre looking so old and the two rookies out, trade is probably needed. Milano getting hurt again stinks but I think they can survive depth wise. They are going to get guys back and football is a week to week league. Additionally the offense did leave a lot to be desired in the first half, but Kincaid especially looks like he may have turned the corner and I truly doubt they look that up and down the remainder of the year. So with time yea it is a sucky loss, but mostly because of the AFC Conference/Division component for tie breakers but it happens to everyone. Maye also really did play well and it sucks when your on the receiving end of good QB play which usually is the opposite 9/10 times for us. The biggest thing truly will be if the defense can come together down the stretch with more consistent better tackling play. I am not asking for the Legion of Boom as much as if the offense scores 24 and is relatively mistake free can we count on you to keep the other team to 20 or less? Will find out in the next 10 weeks or so.

This has been my point all season and why I was furious Monday. AND when the head coach is supposed to be a defensive specialist it is magnified even more.

It also was the first time since Brady was here a QB made some legit great plays in division where you had to tip your cap. Don't like that he is on the Pats as it will be an obstacle down the road, but respect Maye a ton and like how the kid plays. Tua I never was bothered by because you could see he was the sum of the parts and while he can be very good he has limitations. It is obviously still early with Maye, but he showed the stuff that makes a QB a long term answer for a team.

Agreed. I said on another thread that Sal on his podcast with Boston sports guys last week discussed the everyone eats ideology and they responded Brady's most successful years in terms of SB and when they team did well was when the Pats did that. They even remarked as fun as the Moss years were it got stale because he demanded the ball so much and the offense was better on a more regular basis when it was a bit more committee based. I thought the Bills offense was behind the Pats defense all night which contributed to not having a hot hand. I also would be really happy to see a WR addition to the team that could add another weapon to Cook, Shakir, & Kincaid who seems to have found his mark. One more guy that can just go rough shot for 6-7 targets a game would diversify the offense just a bit more like we would like. I truly don't understand what our strategy was with Diggs and to his credit he balled out incredibly along with Maye who made some Josh level plays late.

I would add on that because when building a team in a cap league you have to pick where you devote your resources to the Bills have decided that WR is not a priority and with everyone eats they are ok with the coordinator scheming it up/Josh being Josh. They instead are trying to use the resources to help Josh on D (don't get me going on how that project has been thus far) so when they do play KC in a title game and Josh/the O put up 29 points the defense maybe finally hold KC to 27 24 anything less then 29. I get the idea of it is impossible to build a perfect team in todays NFL with the cap once a QB is paid which makes hitting your picks so vital along with getting the right FAs with what money you have. I would be more ok with the idea of what they have done with the WR corp if we could see some tangible progress by the defense. Right now and after Sunday I see the same result coming as last January which is what is upsetting and does make me question then why not add a true elite WR or at least solid WR with good separation. I hated the fact they ignored the WR spot in 23' and forced the Coleman pick in 24' instead of trading up. It is what it is, the offense more weeks then not will be good to dominate and Josh can win a title with that. I know the majority of the league wishes they had our O line and Cook is a legit blue chip talent now which helps big time. So it is a very good offense for the most part but it has its flaw with the WR's, especially in games where separation matters and/or they are having an off week with penalties turnovers etc.. I listened to Sal's podcast with the Boston reporters last week and the Pats guys said how Josh seems at his best right now like Brady where they can feed 7-8 + different targets a game. So while we are frustrated a times with the WRs it does seem nationally their is a huge respect for the offense in general and what it does. We just reallyyyy need to hope that the defense gets healthy, the guys who come back play to expectation, and they clean up the tackling otherwise our fate is going to mirror recent playoff losses the last two years.

I think his best days are behind and sadly now he is aging faster then ice melting.

Agreed. The Bills turned it over three times including one in their own redzone & another killing a point scoring drive. The offense couldn't do sh*t when the defense held the Pats to 6 pts in the first half. The defense couldn't do sh*t in the 2nd half when the offense got going which kept them off script all night. The defense just missed a few times that would've got the ball back to Buffalo to win. The Pats had a million broken tackles because apparently we cannot tackle this season. Sure penalties were a thing but from what I saw they were fair even if ticky tackty. The Patriots themselves had 8 penalties for 93 yards and had they lost they would've been just as annoyed as a fan base. The other thing is this is the second week in a row the Bills went 10 + penalties so Hochuli or not they have been too undisciplined.

Their defense is the biggest issue at this point. Their offense has been very up or down, but the defense all season has been very good all season. Top in yards allowed and top defense against the pass. The one flaw is their run defense which could favor Buffalo if they can eliminate the penalties, but they have a lot of youth they invested in on the defensive line. Penix is starting just his 8th game so he is still very green which means you will get some good and some bad. The game to me comes down to the Bills running it down their throats and not letting Penix get comfortable in the pocket. If one of those things happen they still win but close, if both happens probably closer to blow out, if neither happens could be Sunday all over again. Didn't return his shopping cart at Tops

Lets go 5-7 but 8-4 in conference & 5-1 in division to finish 9-8. The ultimate put the bullet in the chamber in see what the end result is playoff situation lol, the tie breakers would be wild.

In general the defense has had a lot of mistakes weekly of guys not executing. From bad tackling, issues in coverage, and sloppiness across the board this has been the most unhinged defense McD has had so far. Even last year which you could argue was less talented on paper seemed to play better as a group based on the eye test compared to this year which statistically shows better then 24' is a mess at times to watch. My hope was as guys healed/came back from suspension the defense would improve substantially, but these errors are not talent its player execution which is far more serious issue especially when the offenses since BAL have not been murders row by any means.

I didn't have my white Jersey on and Bills were doing ok. Moment I put it on to join the white out Coleman fumbled and it was all downhill. Moment I took it off Bills scored 10 pts in the last 10 minutes. So its me, I'm the problem it's me. Your going to be denied entry to NYS in the future during Bills seasons

Actually their record in the throwbacks is pretty good lol

The moment the Coleman fumble happened you could see he was off his face read it. They already fumbled and blew decent field position on the Knox sweep and by that point the penalties were coming fast and furious. Then they fumble giving the Pats at least 3 pts for nothing and yea he looked off. I have said the offense in general was the first time all year I felt they were behind the the Pats defense all evening in terms of tempo and dictating play. I never felt they were comfortable and with the errors & chasing the score they seemed to press. Even the Ravens comeback it felt like points and opportunity was there to the way they wanted to do it. For whatever reason Josh against the Pats has been very up and down his entire career outside of the Perfect Game and those two away games in 2020/21. Maybe it is the divisional element or just personnel wise they match up pretty well, but where the Phins he torches them and the Jets he usually is solid the Pats for a while now have been a bugaboo of sorts.

Football is weird honestly. I had the Bills losing to ATL and thought they would have handled business. The Pats lost to the Raiders and Steelers at home but beat Buffalo. It is a week by week league and especially for younger teams up and coming like NE they will have a little more variance as they build up then others. The Pats this year remind of 2019 Bills in a lot of ways and that Bills team had a bad loss in CLE where it felt like they should have won that (CLE had lost 4 straight come in). Whoever lost was going to be annoyed with the refs. Both fanbases had a right to be annoyed, the amount of ticky tact crap was stupid.

12-5 or better Buffalo will win the division. Dip to 11-6 its 50/50 especially if you do not beat NE in their house.

Gabriel also looked solid at QB and is mobile. Browns might be a spunky team the rest of the year given the talent on D and enough on O to do some things. Granted 5-12 type spunky but spunky lol

Yep horsecollar in all in front of him. With that said I generally agreed with the penalties called and the pats had a ton especially late that had they lost I am sure they would've been pissed about.

Maye played a really solid game as needed AND had some really great razzle dazzle plays which if he keeps doing will put him in that top echelon of QBs which separates good to great. Our defense also just cannot tackle and cannot cover which is getting to a point that is going to sink the long term goals of the team. As for the offense it was the first game this season where I do not think they dictated the game on their terms and once they were in catch up mode the mistakes only magnified this. Allen was C+ last night, some good, some great as always, but too much meh or forcing things rather then letting it come to him. Between the penalties and turnovers + the Pats D playing very well you could see they just never found the rhythm they had in the prior four games. That is not common for them and I am sure majority of the upcoming games they will get going but it did expose that they do not have help from the D if they have issues or their off script and the WRs cannot do enough to help either.

They will have their up's and down's because they are young and the depth isn't great... BUT Maye playing the he is with Vrabel coaching solid means they are absolutely a playoff team and if the Bills are not careful they will be on the road all postseason. Some Bills fans wanted to put em down in the preseason but if you saw Maye last year you knew the kid is solid and with a little bit more help and better coaching can absolutely be a guy in this league.

Appreciate the post. People are freaking because the defense is a work in progress and has been bad against the run and very bad with 3rd down defense even though statistically since the Ravens they have been fine. People are freaking because the offense while scoring 30+ is not throwing the ball around like the 07 Pats every week. People are freaking because Maye has looked pretty good and to the Pats credit they look improved and division games are a whole different ball game which is a far more fair point. In general basically because the Bills are not winning 40-3 every week with the offense throwing 400 yds, the defense allowing 10 yards total, etc.. the Bills are the worst team in the AFC even though their 4-0. lol I expect the Bills to win as they simply have more talent right now, a more well rounded roster right now, and Allen is the best player in the NFL. The Pats are going to make a game of it and at points make us nervous. Maye looks good with the potential to be really good and if they build this right over the next two years it will be a major problem for us even with Josh. But for right now the Bills at home should take care of business, come December in New England I think I have had that as a loss all year.

Bills 33 Flying Elvis's 20 This is a classic new kid on the block wanting to make a point but the old guard isn't moving at this time type of game. New England's offense has been decent at points with Maye playing pretty well while their defense is more shaky as they grow. Their talent is not phenomenal and with Milton likely out or limited and Barmore also off injury that hurts them badly on defense. With that said while I think the Bills hold serve throughout and get out to a 14-0 lead early courtesy of a Cook TD run and Coleman TD, the Pats respond in the 2nd with a Diggs TD as Maye breaks contain on 3rd and goal and finds him scrambling. Bills get a FG after but the Pats respond with a FG at half to make it 17-10. Out of half the Pats get a FG as the defense again bends but doesn't break and the WNY faithful get nervous, but Josh and the offense go on a 7 min + drive and cap it with a Knox TD to make it 24-13. Maye gets picked off deep on the next drive by Benford and the offense converts it to a FG entering the 4th up 27-13. The Pats get a TD of their own and it is 27-20 with 10 to go in the 4th quarter, but the Bills offense again responds as Moore finally scores on one of those reverses with 5 mins to go to seal the win (Bills miss the XP). Allen 285 yds 2 TDs 23-29 Cook 123 yds 1 TD 18 rushes Coleman 98 yds 5 rec

If they hit their bye 3-3 they can still win the division to the point I have confidence they do. If they are 2-4 I still think they make the playoffs as long as Lamar is back healthy although the division might be a bit of a reach with PIT already 3-1 but you never know. Biggest thing is they can't be 1-5 come bye week. They have a ton of injuries, but if they can just get a W coming up and then heal up through the bye they can get back in it pretty quick with that schedule. WITH all of that said, this is why it is stupid when the NFL media crowns a team as the one to beat with zero blemishes etc. The Ravens had near perfect health last year to the point Barnwell's recent piece covers it was historically good. Variance is real with health and turnovers and no team is flawless. The Ravens to me always were an 11-6/12-5 team because it is extremely difficult even if your great to win 13-14 games year in year out without issue and teams that do typically have a lot of luck mixed in. The bigger question is Harbaugh and if they don't make it or they fail again come post season what happens. They have the look of a team that is fading on confidence with the coach and he has been there an awful long time without breaking through again. I do not get the sense the locker room backs here nearly the way the Bills does with McD who similarly has not broken through with good teams.

We’re at the 4-week mark of the season, which means we’re already a quarter of the way in (noooo). I did this last year—ranking the AFC every 4-5 weeks or so—but I always find early-season rankings tricky. The first four weeks can be totally misleading. So, this is a blend of where teams are now and where I think they’re headed long-term. As always—agree, disagree, tell me I have no brain. 😂 Have fun with it: See You at the AFC Title Game Buffalo – The defense is a work in progress, but with some key injured and suspended players returning, there’s real potential for growth. Overall, they’re a more dangerous team than last year. Kansas City – Immovable object. Rumors of their demise were greatly exaggerated. That said, they’re more flawed than in previous years, and the division looks tougher. Regardless, until someone knocks them out before the AFC Title Game, pencil them in. Contenders LA Chargers – Well-coached and always tough. The offense looks more dangerous with Hampton, and Herbert is playing really well. The question isn’t whether they’ll make the playoffs, but whether they can finally win the division—or at least a playoff game. Are the Ravens Still Contenders...? The preseason darlings of NFL media are now 1-3. They're banged up, lost two close games they couldn’t close, got blown out by another AFC alpha, and now Lamar is hurt. That said, their schedule lightens up. If Lamar plays, they can stack some wins, and the defense will get some guys back. Realistically, though, this version of the Ravens looks like a shell of the teams from the last two years. Even if they win the division, they’ll likely be on the road for two playoff games—probably in Buffalo and/or KC—where they’ve historically struggled. If the offense gets going, they’re still dangerous. I can’t take them fully out of the contender tier, but things aren’t looking great either. Frisky Newcomers Denver – Nix is showing some sophomore-slump signs and may be more of a serviceable starter than a star. Still, there’s talent all over the roster, and they’re one missed FG penalty from being 3-1. If Nix can step up against better competition, they’ll be a tough out. Jacksonville – Coen has the offense clicking, but more importantly, the defense has been stout. Their next three games are against KC, SEA, and LAR (in London), so they’ll have their chances to prove they’re legit. Shades of 2017 all over this team. The Steelers Probably Win This Division, But What's Their Ceiling? Pittsburgh – With the rest of the division dealing with injuries and inconsistency, the Steelers are sitting at 3-1 and in control. The offense is lukewarm with occasional spice, and the defense isn’t the elite unit it used to be. How do they beat KC/BUF/LAC unless those teams self-destruct? Wildcarding New England – Maye has been very solid, which keeps the Patriots in the Wild Card conversation. The defense is inconsistent—stout at times, sieve-like at others. After Sunday Night Football in Buffalo, the schedule softens. They feel like a team that’ll be a sneaky playoff threat by season’s end. Indianapolis – They have the second-best point differential in the AFC and a good win over Denver. 10 wins probably gets a Wild Card spot this year—and in the AFC South, 10 might win the division. Jones has played really well, but can he sustain it for 17 games? "I Self-Ranked Myself a Top 5 QB After My Rookie Year... and It's Been a Tire Fire Since" Houston – I bought into the Stroud hype last year, but between the offensive line issues and consistent, game-changing mistakes, the regression is real. The defense will keep them in games, and the AFC South gives them some margin for error, but this feels like a 7–10 team. By season’s end, they may be asking hard questions at QB. We’re Wrecking Our Second Franchise QB Because We’re Cheap & Have No Team-Building Vision Cincinnati – Burrow going out like this is a huge bummer… but not shocking. He’s been the most-hit starting QB since Andrew Luck. This team should’ve learned from KC that sometimes trading the flashy WR (Higgins) to build a stronger overall roster is the right move. The 2 wins they banked don’t feel like enough for a late push, even if Burrow returns in December. For Bills fans: with Burrow likely missing their game, Buffalo may not face him again until at least 2027. GeNOOOOOOO... 7–10 Raiders Again Raiders – Geno looked like one of the better QBs in terms of accuracy and turnover avoidance in Seattle. Now, he has 7 turnovers in 4 games and two sub-200-yard performances. There was some preseason hype about them being a sneaky Wild Card team, but there’s just not enough talent here. In a weaker division, maybe—but in the AFC West, it’s hard to see a turnaround coming. Bad Teams Without Enough Talent – Already Playing for 2026 Miami – Whatever best-case scenario existed disappeared by halftime of Week 1. The roster lacks talent, and with Hill now out for the year, the offense is even more of a shell. They might claw their way to 3–4 in the coming weeks, but the crash is coming. McDaniel is starting to look like a one-trick pony with no backup plan. Cleveland – There’s a universe where they never traded for Watson, kept Baker, and make the playoffs yearly with a great defense. That’s not this one. The D is being wasted because the offense has no reliable QB, lacks weapons, and can’t protect. Why Myles Garrett re-signed here knowing this roster was already sinking is beyond me. New York Jets – Life comes at you fast. One week you’re almost upsetting the Steelers, and the next you're 0–4 with culture questions. Everyone knew the rebuild would be ugly, but Glenn needs to keep things focused or it could spiral fast. What once looked like a decent foundation now feels barren. Tennessee – 2025 was never the goal here. Ward is taking his rookie lumps. The bigger issue? The effort level isn’t there, and that reflects on the head coach. They need talent, yes—but they also need their recent draft picks to show something. The upcoming schedule (vs ARI, LV, NE, IND) gives them a chance to prove they’re growing.